Human Rights Work
Over the course of his career, Cohen has been a tireless advocate for human rights. In addition to striving for legal reforms in China, he has been instrumental in realizing the release of political prisoners, including Song YongYi, a librarian at Dickinson College who was charged in China for selling intelligence overseas after he mailed newspapers, books, and Red Guard posters to the U.S. He regularly uses his bi-weekly column in the South China Morning Post as a platform to criticize rights violations in China and Taiwan.
Cohen assisted and advised Chinese civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng, after Chen escaped from house arrest in 2012. After a series of negotiations between the U.S. and Chinese governments, Chen was allowed to travel to the U.S. and become a fellow at New York University.
Cohen also serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
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